ok so i have taken some time to go and explore a couple of religions. so i just want to let you know how things are going. first off i just want to say to those who think that i am being a hypocrite. i know that i have done my fair share of judging. yes i have done some things that I'm not proud of. (and you may tell me that I'm calling the kettle black while I'm the pot. but you know what screw you for saying that. i didn't force you to read this. so don't be a little bitch and post on my blog as an anonymous person. grew some balls and put your name there. that is all i have say to you douche) but i can stand in your face and tell you that i don't like you. or make clear that i don't want to be your friend.
i still think that Mormons have sooo many things wrong. so while i was talking to one of the leaders of my congregation he informed that i shouldn't go out and find my way. cause you never know i might die and then what will i do. SERIOUSLY! thats what your going to tell me. here i am someone looking for my way. i want to know what i can do to find myself and that is the advice I'm given. no wonder so many people leave the church. oh and another one. alright now check this one out she told me that I'm going to be missing out. alright now i can kinda understand that one. but one thing i don't understand is that if a person is wanting to leave because of the way they have been treated the past 6 months. do you really think that they are going to miss what they have had. i don't think so. so I'm not going to miss anything. but hey nice job on trying the guilt trip method on me. sorry it didn't work.
ok so that was my rant. sorry y'all (world) but i feel like we're family here. i mean you read this blog cause its my open letter to the world. on here I'm 100% honest with you. i might say some things that you don't agree with. and hey that's cool. leave a comment and we'll talk about. that is what America is based on. discussion, disagreement, honesty, and well just a place for everyone to chill and hang out in. that is what this is for. my blog is for people to get a better understanding of me. i know its hard to figure me out. and lets just be honest here im not the easiest person to understand. but hey its cool. there maybe some times where i will hate you more then i hate the runs. but its cool we have to have things like this in our lives. ughh ok now back to what i have been talking about thanks for reading this far.
now in my life i have always been taught that the Mormon church was the only true church out there. and in this point in my quest for happiness the Mormon church still has everything that i would want in a church. but i still want to learn more. i want to see what else is out there. there has to be more to life then just one church. i need to find out what it is. i need to figure out why i am in the situation I'm in. why I'm not happy. so in my search the past couple of days i have come to meet some really cool people. my journey first started with the Presbyterian church. there i met a nice lady named Renae. i don't know if she was a pastor or what not. but she was the one that the guy in the front told me i had to talk to. there wasn't a lot that she told me. i guess it was more like a brief introduction to what they believe in. but i wanted more. i wanted to hear something that will catch my eye. i wanted the spirit to bear testimony to me there while she was talking. but i didn't feel anything. i didn't feel what i had come to know. i guess i will find out more on Sunday about what they really do believe in. i later went to go and visit with the Lutheran church. it was interesting talking with pastor Paul. we talked in the kitchen in the church while he made dinner for the members that night. we talked a lot about what he believed in. one thing that i thought was interesting was that he told me that their church was divided. the morning congregation were the more conservative bunch they didn't believe the same things that the more liberal group did. i cant for the life of me understand why someone will go to a church where they are divided. where as a member of the church you would not be one with another congregation of your same beliefs. i just don't understand it. i also met with the church of Scientology. now that was really interesting. now in no way I'm i ever going to commit to being a scientologist its just not who i am or what i am looking for. they did have a lot of really good things about them. like when it comes to how they treat people and how they approach life they have it right. i think lot of people can benefit from what they had they have to teach. i may not agree with how they fund their church though. but it is a really good place to go if you want to find yourself or find out whats wrong with you. but it is in no way a religion or a faith. and you cant tell me otherwise. we tried to meet the the Jews but there was no one to talk to. but we are going to meet with them tonight. same goes with the Catholics.
so my search goes on. i still honestly believe everything that the Mormon church believes in. i still want a lot of what they have to offer. but i just need to find myself. i need to find out who i am. I'm going to go into these religions with an open mind and not pass judgment on what they have to say. maybe i should talk with the Mormon missionaries and see what they have to say. if I'm going to go and look at every religion that i can i might as well talk to them as well. maybe they will have the answers that i need. if you have any suggestions on what to do please give me your 2 cents. i really would like it.
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6 comments:
Dear Jason,
I've been reading your posts and I'm glad that you are searching and investigating what you believe and why you believe in it. I think that to devote yourself to a certain religion, that you need to have a deep understanding of it. While you are investigating so many religions, I feel like if you are serious about figuring out what you believe in, that you have to do more than scratch the surface. Obviously, this can't be done in one week, or even one year. Because there are so many different choices (and each one believes they are the true church), I think the path you follow will have to come from within- you should pinpoint what makes you happy and what you value and whether or not this matches the emphasis of the religions you investigate. I really admire you for taking this on and I think it will be worthwhile, even if you end right back where you started.
thank you for your input. i do understand that it will take time. and i do hope that one day i will find what it is that i am looking for.
Jason-
Like the first poster said, I believe that the process of deciding what you really believe isn't easy, and it doesn't happen overnight. Good luck to you on your journey. Real friends will still be there for you no matter where you end up.
I can understand being really upset at a person or people in the church but it's hard for me to fully support your desire to look down on the church. Don't become anti- if you really want to look into other churches then cool, but really look into yours too. Find out about the church that you said you never had the chance to find for yourself. Take the missionary lessons. Make sure that through all of your explorations of churches you pray on what the right thing to do is. Get yourself into the right place. I'm sorry that things at church and with your friends haven't been going good. I know that you know that there are people who would love and support you in our church too. Instead of going to a singles ward(where sometimes the drama makes it difficult to feel the spirit) go to a family ward. I still think your cool:) lol
I for one fully support you checking out other churches. In the past I dated guys from other churches and would attend some of their church meetings. It was truly eye-opening.
I discovered that every church has truth to it. You can feel the Spirit testify of truth no matter what church you're at. If the church is teaching truth, the Spirit will testify of it.
When I went to other churches it really made me think about what I believe. And it solidified my beliefs.
People in the church are not perfect. The church itself is sometimes not perfect. But the GOSPEL is perfect.
Being here in Mormon-ville I really have to separate how I'm treated sometimes from the gospel. On top of that, my political beliefs don't always follow my religious beliefs and that can be hard too.
Definitely look at other churches. It help you understand yourself and other people better. It will make you more open to everyone's ideas. It will be one of the best things you ever do.
On that note, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints contains the fullness of the gospel that will not be found at other churches. It is Christ's church on the earth today. The gospel is and will forever be perfect. The trick is forgiving and sometimes ignoring those Mormons who are very imperfect and moving on.
You are awesome and you will find answers.
Jason, this is your old friend Spencer Iacono. I really miss you guys, especially after reading your words and remembering how humble and kind your family is. Do you remember when I broke my finger Christmas Eve while trying to take a picture in your home? I snagged it on the couch after setting the camera and running back to get in the picture?
Good times. As one who absolutely knows the Gospel, restored in it's fullness, is true, it pained me a little to learn that you were "venturing out" so to speak from that which brings true happiness in this life, and eternal life in the world to come. However, it appears that examining these other religions is turning out to be a good thing:)
You said that you want the spirit to testify to you? My dear friend, keep THAT same mindset while searching and it will lead you BACK to that firm foundation. If you are going to stray, stray with that in mind and you will be alright. Having said that, let me add that when it comes to salvation there is indeed a "one size fits all" program. And why would it be that way? Because Heavenly Father's plan for all of his children to return to Him is the same, but that doesn't mean we don't have individual purposes.
And because some members of "the program" don't seem to be able to apply the principles in their own lives, doesn't mean that the principles themselves aren't true. Rather it reflects very poorly on that person's devotion to those principles. Trust me bro, if it weren't for my knowledge -given by the Holy Ghost- that the church is true, i would have strayed a long time ago.
YOU NEED THAT KNOWLEDGE. Does that knowledge come through a life long examination of other religions and doctrines? Absolutely NOT! Rather it comes through earnest prayer. Reading the BOM strait through, as much as you can at a time, and praying about it will put an end to your search. It can come in as simple of words as this: "Father in Heaven, I don't yet have that conviction that the church is true, I want to, will you please show with surety that it is true? Please, I REALLY want to know."
I couldn't imagine having to go through what you are putting yourself through to find the truth when the process is so much easier.
With love,
Spence
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